Modern Vespa

... and how did you do it?

Waving your hand is fine during the day. But if you like to ride at night, which we do, it's good to have lights.

Our 1976 Super had signals at one time, but a prior owner removed them. Normally I'd try to track some down but they weren't particularly attractive, and I've heard they didn't work half the time.

So what are the options? We've considered the Hella bar end lights. Anybody install a set and is happy with them? What else is there?

Let's see your creative turn signal solutions!

Bar ends are the best if your adding signals to a scoot. It takes some fiddling and wiring but at the end of the day they look the best and don't require 4 separate applications and wires from here to bum fuck Sheboygan.

No idea where that is, but I am laughing a lot

No idea where that is, but I am laughing a lot

Its a Jerry Lewis joke but applies to many things.

I have a chrome license plate frame with LED signals built into it. It's missing a couple of small screws...I have never used it (brand new.)

It's yours if you'd like to have it.

Adding turn signals is way harder than you think. Then you'll need a battery or a DC capable stator or a bunch of other stuff. The AC option isn't as reliable since the AC flasher is difficult to regulate with bulbs. This is just my experience.

I would recommend building a time machine and then using it to go back to when you were young and didn't live in fear.

Yup.

Wheres the like button.

Is the original set up still there? I mean the wiring, switch, flasher and battery?

If it's there then shouldn't be too hard. If it's not, then like others have said, not easy.

Oh, I like him a lot and watch his movies at home to encourage the love for him from my kids too. From one of his films jimmy?

That's awfully generous Quasi-moto. I'll p.m. you. It's not fear so much as having survived enough close calls with oblivious drivers over the years to know better. Also the local cops tell me that signals are required in CA on all motor scooters manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1973.
Yep, original wiring is still there, switch too. Scoot has a battery in it now. I have a 6v flasher that works. I realize it won't be a piece of cake. I've been thinking about it myself for a while!

It's about 3 miles west of bum fuck Sheboygan East. SoCalGuy, I haven't done this but it's on the list - procrastination seems to take up most of my time. The video in the link shows I think THE way to do bar ends. Bar ends look very cool and can be seen from front and rear, meaning no hole-drilling in your cowls.

The video shows how to mount them without the special inner tubes that hold them rigid Or the special handgrips... but they'll turn with the throttle & gear tubes. But the best bit to my mind is they are mounted on springs - no solid fixing so they are much less likely to be smashed by a knock.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1843603133769

bar ends are cool na all but ya still really need summat behind ya ..... id go for bar ends n summat just peeping out the bottom of the panels on the back .....
ya can get chinese things of ebay for pence clicky ...... an L shaped bracket off the body so the light is pointing down n the tip is showing [ya dirty git] n ya good to go

What you want to do for the rear, is led strips, And rig them to a reg plate holder. Very neat and tidy

every scoot ive has ate leds .... ive got some led bar ends n a sip led flasher relay so fingers crossed theyll work

From this earlier thread it seems your scoot originally had signals, which makes adding some easier.

150 Super rebuild (Page 3)

The wiring diagram for your scoot showed a two-wire flasher, I think without a provision for a flashing I-left-my-signal-lights on light. Two-wire thermal flashers are available, or a three-wire thermal flasher can be used, leaving the indicator light prong unused.

One prong is fed hot, the other prong heads to the turn signal switch. The switch selects left or right, and current heads to front and back lights simultaneously. Lamp current heats the flasher's bimetallic strip and flashing commences.

Your rear turn signal wires should be under the tank in the frame, possibly still connected to the female cowl prongs. Those wires could be disconnected and fed to the rear for some add-on lights. There must be enough wattage to operate the flasher. The cheap flashers will generally flash quickly enough with a 10-20 watt load, up to 50 or more. AC current will also heat them up, but loads become more critical since flashing at idle, while power output is lowest, is important while sitting still, waiting to turn.

Automotive parts houses have the cheapos. Here are some more.

http://stores.ebay.com/Memotronics-Electronic-Components/Auto-Flashers-/_i.html?_fsub=1032868011

I'm not sure which is more dangerous, not having any, or riding while forgetting to turn them off. Wildly gesticulating seems to get people's attention.

Nutty Professor.

SoCal, I have a '74 Super that came with the original signal stalks and some new after market blinkers. I do not plan on using them. They're yours for the price of shipping.

Thanks Ginch, this is could be the winner. Holding the bar ends in place with springs secured by washers and those little brass clamps is borderline genius. I was considering using a long threaded rod, with washers at both ends but couldn't figure out how to secure it at the light end.

Thanks blackbart, I was wondering about the load needed for the flasher, particularly with LEDs. I got a 6 volt flasher at a VW parts store that seems to be OK. I've experimented wiring the flasher directly to the battery and hooking up LED marker lights as well as incandescent bulbs to it, and it flashes fine.

The challenge is where and how to mount the lights without making any new holes in the old scoot.

Tierney, you are too kind! I will p.m. you.

Love these little buggers, but they aren't as easy to find as you think here in the States. When I click the link it says "This item doesn't post to United States".

"Local cops?" Do they stand outside your house waiting for you to start your scooter? You must live in the suburbs.

Close calls are exactly that, close calls. I suggest a high-visibility vest and a full armor jacket with some armored paints and some Sidi boots and some armored gloves. You can paint some eyes on the back of your halmet so a mountain lion doesn't attack you while you are making a left turn.

Yep, there isn't a lot for Andy and Barney to do here in Mayberry. Who uses a helmet?

Oh. I'm gunna have to watch it again now and then go down to the pit.

Suddenly Australia looks less like a police state. My Bike is '74 and never came with indicators and no-one has batted an eyelid about needing them. I used to think we had similar rules to CA after being pulled over with a mate by some twats in Perth who demanded his scoot have indicators and red-stickered the bike there and then, making for a long walk home for us, but now days there seems to be less issues on the vintage bikes. I guess back then they were not considered vintage!

Just looked it up, it is July 1975 here. Perfect. Not so perfect after that long walk home as his bike was a 72. As I said, twats, from Claremont.

That bar end system works fine, but I had to double up on the springs to get enough length. I tried using an AC flasher, which was fine when the engine was not at idle, but at a stop the flash didn't, flash that is. I've since converted to 12V AC/DC, which makes bulbs and flashers easy and cheap to find.

Classic Rider, do you find that they can move about ok? Like if you walk into it, does it snap back into position?

I've been pulled over a lot in LA. "It's a 74, it's old and Italian, what year required signals again?" Never had a problem.

They do seem to snap back into position after minor contact but at the same time seem fairly secure when riding, that is they don't seem loose or wobble around. It helps keeping the mounting hole on the grip end as small as possible to give some extra hold to the fixture. I doubt the springs would help that much with a full on drop event though.

Classic Rider: So basically your signals didn't flash at idle when they were running AC, but switching to an AC/DC system solved the no-flash-at-idle issue. That's consistent with what blackbart says about loads being more critical in an AC system, since at idle power output is lowest. How do you now supply current to your flasher?

On our scooter the flasher is fed off the regulator. The wiring calls for a 6V, 21 watt bulb at each signal.

Notice the guy who modified the bar ends in that video was dealing with a 12v system. He not only swapped out the bulb holder but put a higher wattage Sylvania 921 bulb in it, which is 12v, 18 watts.

Anyone know if there's a 6 volt bulb with similar wattage that would fit inside the bar end system?

I think that if I added turn signals to my GS160 or SS180 it would open a portal to a very bad place!

This? http://www.ebay.com/itm/BA15s-6v-5w-8w-10w-15w-clear-19mm-dia-globe-straight-pins-Car-Bike-Scooter-/271269904503?pt=UK_BOI_Lights_Lighting_ET&var=&hash=item3f28f24077

Ginch, that bulb might fit inside the bar end lens, but how would you fix a bulb holder in there? Those bulbs have a bayonet base, which is different from the wedge base used by the guy in the facebook video.

I understand the compromise that are inherent with blinkers. I almost got creamed once because I left mine on but there in lies a tale for another day. I have a turn signal setup that was made for a bicycle. It consists of a box which is meant to mount under the seat. The box has two signal lights and operates on two D batteries, which is good because my VBA has no battery. A switch mounts on the handlebars. Adding two more lights would adversely affect the flash rate but LEDs have a low enough current draw that I think it would be OK. Bar end lights had not occoured to me. It seems to me that they would be visible to the rider when on. Sounds like a project.

I #^>~# hate bayonet lights

Use festoons then and avoid swapping the globes altogether. You'd probably need to alter the way the spring connects to the unit however... maybe a wire loop that the spring can simply hook on to?

http://www.sip-scootershop.com/en/products/festoon+bulb+handlebar_57718000
http://www.naauto.biz/catalogue/category134/category139/c183/c187/product1523
http://www.bltdirect.com/festoon-lamps?filter=4005

You have any pictures VRM? That sounds like a neat idea.

It's just past Bumfukanowhere

I just had a look at the bar end lights on SIP and the globe is different from the one in the video... like this -


It's a bay9s, a small halogen that doesn't appear to be available in 6V. Maybe time to try Matthew's idea using leds?